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It’s Black History Month! Celebrate Science and African-American Achievements

February 1, 2009

All year is a great time to learn more about science and the people who make the discoveries. But February offers a great opportunity to learn about the achievements of African-Americans (and others from the African Diaspora) in the sciences.

So I’m introducing a new Blog Carnival – Diversity in Science. Blogs of every genre is invited to write a special feature post about a person who is a pioneer and/or innovator in any of the amazing fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
Tell us all about him/her?
How has this person impacted field of STEM and/or inspired you?
Or why is his/her story interesting?

With this being Black History Month, the inaugural carnival will be about African-American Innovators. Simply post a fabulous essay about any science hero past or present and submit it to the carnival. Deadline is Friday, February 20th. I’ll host this first edition of Diversity in Science on Tuesday, February 24.

The inspiration to create this Blog carnival was born of the ScienceOnline09 Conference in the Race & Science session, co-moderated by AcmeGirl. However, the conversation about diversity began in the Gender in Science session moderated by Suzanne Franks, Abel Pharmboy and Alice Pawley.

Together, the two Diversity sessions touched on the current state of diversity in the sciences, the role of allies to support women and minority scientists, and how to encourage more minority participation in science blogging. In fact, one line of conversation that really struck me was the idea of using the internet, blogs in particular, to share with others the diversity of the scientific community. The Web provides new methods and means for action and effecting positive change in the public’s perception of minorities in science and even attracting kids into science. Blog rolling, giving blog awards, guest blogging, and writing profile/interview posts are great ways to promoting science, nature, technology and engineering to new audiences as wells promote blogs written by persons of color. And a Blog Carnival about Diversity in Science is a perfect way to build cross-community relationships among the many different internet communities, for example science and nature blogging communities, African-American blogging communities and social-political commentary blogging communities.

So how about joining the already committed science and Blacks in Higher Education Bloggers is this Carnival? Together we can help create a beautiful mosaic of diversity of STEM like the pictures of my friends from science conferences.

See images here.

Diversity in Science Carnival
Deadline Friday, February 20th.
Submit via the Blog Carnival Submission link or leave your link in the comments at the original blog post at Urban Science Adventures! (c)
Advertise and promote the blog, now and when it is published.

Finally, get ready for the second edition of Diversity in Science with March – Women’s History Month: Celebrate Women Innovators.